Appellations (1 hectare = 2.4 acres)
- Aligote (0.39 Ha)
- Bourgogne Chardonnay (0.7 Ha)
- Bourgogne Passetoutgrain (0.44 Ha)
- Bourgogne Pinot Noir (1.2 Ha)
- Gevrey-Chambertin (3.1 Ha)
- Gevrey-Chambertin ‘Vigne Belle’ (0.68 ha)
- Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru ‘Clos Prieur’ (0.14 Ha)
- Chambolle Musigny (0.22 ha)
- Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru ‘Beaux Bruns’ (0.22 Ha)
Domaine Thierry Mortet
We first met Thierry Mortet at one of the early editions of the ‘Grands Jours de Bourgogne’ where the tasting was of the two distinct village appellation zones on either side of the Combe Lavaux.
Tasting at Thierry’s stand was a master class in the subject that is as clear today as it was twenty years ago.
Thierry Mortet took over his half of the family domain, Domaine Charles Mortet et Fils in 1992 with 4 hectares of vines. He now oversees 7.3 hectares (just under 17 acres) of production, 6 ha in red and the rest in white, for an annual production of 30-35000 bottles. When he officially converted his domain to organic agriculture in 2007, he was merely codifying practices that he had already been following for years out of respect for the environment and an understanding of the cultural significance of his work.
The annual production is between 280 and 350 hectoliters, with yields of 55-60 Hl/Ha for the Bourgogne, 40-45 Hl/Ha for the Gevrey and Chambolle village wines, and 35-40 Hl/Ha for the Clos Prieur and Chambolle 1er Cru.
Principles
The vineyards are worked using organic methods and treatments. These techniques are part of a desire to maintain a balanced soil that allows the vine to reach its full potential and thus the development of healthy grapes that reflect the parcel they come from. At each stage of the seasonal cycle of the vine, the goal is to keep the plant in harmony with the soil and also the climatic conditions of the season. In winter the idea is to keep the natural vigor of the vine in check, so pruning is adapted to each plant, neither too severe nor too lax. The number of buds are rigorously controlled plant by plant in the Spring to assure that the vines are not overly productive. Vineyard work is adapted to each parcel and each individual plant depending on the growing conditions. Clearing and cutting of the vines during the growing season helps to bring the fruit to optimum maturity. Soils are turned winter and summer to allow good aeration which in turn allows microbiological activity to flourish. The harvest is manual allowing a first sorting for quality before the fruit reaches the winery. There is a second sorting in the winery before vinification. The end result is quality fruit that requires minimum intervention to turn it into wine.
Vinification
For the reds, the harvest is totally de-stemmed. There is then a maceration at 15 °C for four or five days. The fermentation begins without added yeasts, and the vats are punched down 2 times a day for 3 to 10 days depending on the wine and the vintage. The grapes are pressed, and there is a blending of the free run juice and the juice from the actual pressing.
The Bourgogne is raised in closed vats for 4 months, then in oak barrels (no new wood: barrels range from 2-4 years in age) and left to age 12 months.
The Gevrey Chambertin is raised one-third in new wood for 16 months and two-thirds in closed vats for 4 months and then in barrels of 1 or 2 year in age.
The Clos Prieur and Chambolle 1er Cru are raised in one-third new wood and two-thirds in one-year old barrels for 16 months. For the whites, after pressing, the vats are left to settle out for 24 hours. The Aligote is raised in closed vat for 2 months and bottled. The Chardonnay is raised two thirds in closed vats and one-third in wood. These components are then blended at the end of 6 months and bottled.
The wines, both red and white, are racked after the end of malo-lactic fermentation. The whites are lightly membrane-filtered, and the reds kieselgur filtered.